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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · chip · pop · snap · chair · shower · file · board

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. track — to keep track
  7. file — a document
  8. pop — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — for betting
  15. file — a tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. board — to get on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. file — a line of people
  20. snap — to click
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com